Lone Rider (11 page)

             
She didn’t despise the man. She despised the situation.

In fact the man was attractive to her in more ways then one. He was different from the others. The round peg amidst square holes -- he didn’t quite fit. And, perhaps most importantly, if she appeared to cooperate, he might free her.

When she heard the outside door, she quickly turned the faucet on and grabbed her toothbrush.

             
When she entered the kitchen a few minutes later, she smelled coffee.
Dallas
handed her a mug.

“We need to talk,” he began. “About your role here.”

             
Tess frowned setting the coffee aside. “Do I have any say in the matter?”

             
“No.” 
Dallas
didn’t like it any
more than she did. Their options were limited. “We both know you’d prefer your freedom. That’s not in my power to grant. Bogen runs this camp with a tight fist. He considers everyone here to be under his domain. You will be allowed to stay in my keeping as long as I take proper precautions. One is to assure you can’t escape.”

             
She bristled. “I’m surprised you allow a man like Bogen to exercise so much control over your life. What happens when you want one thing and Bogen wants another? Does Bogen always win?”

             
Not if he could help it.
Dallas
realized Tess baited him. The residual tension from their kiss crackled in the air. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she’d been affected by it. He liked that.

“I knew the rules when I signed up,” he said.

             
“Well I didn’t!”  Her mounting frustration cracked. “You’re nothing but a bunch of kidnapping murderers! Do you think I don’t know what’s going to happen to me? Do you think I want to end up like-- ”  Realizing she’d said too much, she turned away.

             
Dallas
was beside her before she could blink. The man moved faster than light. She tensed as he grabbed her, pulling her close. Unwilling to back down, she stared at him coldly.

             
“Murderers?” he repeated. “An interesting choice of words. What makes you say that?”

             
When she didn’t respond,
Dallas
exhaled sharply. Something had happened. He could see it in her eyes.
Horror
. The question was
what
. He knew when. She’d only been out of his sight for those few hours she’d spent locked in the pantry. Snake had returned to the big house during that time. Had he or Bogen threatened her?

             
“You don’t want to end up like whom?”
Dallas
prompted once more.

             
She swallowed, suddenly unsure of how much she should tell him. She hadn’t missed the brief look of surprise that flashed across his face. Shock. Disbelief. In other words,
Dallas
still didn’t know about the man Snake had murdered
.

             
Was it a secret between Snake and Bogen? If she let on that she knew, would
Dallas
tell Bogen? Would it make her position in camp even more precarious? She recalled Bogen’s threats. He’d take her from
Dallas
and do God kno
w
s
what. Blinking
,
she looked away.

             
“You’re hiding something,”
Dallas
said, relaxing the grip on her arms. “While I can’t blame you for not trusting me, there’s a few things you should know. If Bogen starts to feel like you’re a threat to him or his operation, he’ll get rid of you. And I don’t mean kill you. There’s a huge demand outside this country for women like you. Your stay here will seem like a week on a luxury cruiser.”

             
She paused, absorbing his words. He was trying to frighten her into submissiveness. Like Bogen had. Except he didn’t frighten her nearly as much as Bogen.

Feeling bold, she called his bluff. “I’d welcome the change! Nothing can be worse than this! Nothing.”

             
The fingers gripping her arms instantly tightened, snatching her up against his chest, leaving her feet dangling inches off the floor. His hold constricted unmercifully as he spoke.

“Are you familiar with the term ‘white slavery’, Tess? You’re shipped out of the country and sold to the highest bidder. Don’t look so stunned. There’s a part of the world where that type of thing happens with alarming regularity. In fact, demand exceeds supply. And with your looks and body, guess what commodity you’d be expected
to provide? For perhaps a house
ful of guests. You’d be abused mentally, physically, and sexually.”

             
He shook her, his eyes raking her body, lingering on her heaving breasts, purposely violating her, his voice cruel. “Yeah, you’d be stupid enough to fight. Until they whipped off a layer of skin. Or had you addicted. Have you ever seen what an addict will do for a fix, Tess?”

             
She shook her head, too aghast to speak.

             
“Then think twice before you open your mouth around here. I know this isn’t nice. I know you think it’s unfair. But it can be a hell of a lot worse.”  Relaxing his fingers, he set her down, keeping a grip on her when she faltered. Damn, he hadn’t meant to lose his temper.

             
Stunned, Tess stared at him. She’d touched a nerve.
Dallas
was different. She’d seen it in the boiling disgust he kept carefully hidden below the surface. A small thread of hope flickered inside her.

             
“You don’t condone something like that, do you?”  She could barely speak.

Dallas
wrestled with his conscience. “Whether I do or don’t is immaterial. The
point is that the consequences of
breaking Bogen’s rules are bad.”

             
She drew a deep breath. Whether she liked it or not, she needed to play the game to stay alive. “And what are these rules?”

             
“Anytime you’re not with me, you’ve got to be secured.”

             
“You mean handcuffed?”

             
He nodded. “When the two of us are here alone, I’ll give you free run of the cabin. That changes if someone else is around. You’ve probably figured out that Bogen and his cronies consider women chattels. Right now you’re considered mine. Everyone will respect that as long as I maintain control.”

             
Tess paced across the room toward the couch, not liking what she heard. She turned, pinning him with a cold stare. “How long do you honestly expect to keep me like this? My family and friends will miss me. They’ll notify the police.”

             
“They won’t find us, Tess.”

             
The conviction in his voice shook her. “You’re just saying that so I’ll go along willingly with whatever you say. Like I have a choice!”

             
Dallas
shrugged. “Would you prefer Snake’s company over mine?”

             
“That’s not a choice
,
and you know it.”  Tess suppressed a shudder of revulsion. If she had to stay in Bogen’s camp, she’d choose
Dallas
. He’d already proved to be far more considerate than expected.

             
And he was different. In ways she couldn’t yet define. She’d seen glimpses of it, sensed it. Yes, the man was a devil. But a chivalrous devil. He hadn’t taken advantage of the situation. The question was why? She was his prisoner. He could easily overpower her.

Yet he didn’t
. And something deep inside her said he wouldn’t. A small bubble of hope surfaced.

             
“You’re not like the others,” she whispered drawing close once again, seeking his eyes. “Who are you?”

             
“I’m more like them than you know. Don’t push it.”

             
He wasn’t being honest. Confused, she changed subjects. “Exactly how many other people live here?”

             
He moved away to refill his coffee cup. “Exactly? Still planning an escape?”

She rubbed her upper arms where he’d held her, certain she’d have more bruises. “Just curious. Are there other women in camp?”

             
“Three or four. But they’re here by choice. You won’t be allowed any contact with them. Which is probably for your own good. They’re a jealous bunch. Snake’s girlfriend, Liz, is the worst. She’d just as soon cut your heart out as look at you.”

             
“Sounds perfect for Snake.”

             
He glanced at his watch and set his cup aside. “I’ve got to go out. I don’t know how long I’ll be, so I suggest you finish eating and use the bathroom.”

             
“Are you going to handcuff me again?”

             
“Yes.”

             
“For how long?”

             
“As long as it takes.”

             
Tess reached out, stopping him when he would have turned away. “Can I go with you?”

             
“No.”

             
She saw him glance at his watch yet again and knew time was running short. “Can we compromise and just cuff one hand?”

             
He shook his head, playing his trump. “The only alternative is to leave you locked in the pantry at the big house.”

             
Her shoulders fell. She’d rather stay here, chained to
Dallas
’ bed
, tha
n step foot back inside Bogen’s house. She’d even abandoned her idea of getting to Bogen’s telephone and calling for help, not wanting to risk getting caught by Bogen himself.

             
After using the bathroom, Tess refused his offer to eat
,
and this time he didn’t push it. She followed him into the bedroom and sat meekly on the bed.

             
“Lie
down. Hands over your head.”  At first he thought she was g
oing to fight him. Then she lay
down.

Her acquiescence left a bitter taste in his mouth. He grasped her hands easing them up. He felt her resistance, knew what it cost her to obey. “I’ll be in town. Do you need anything?” 

             
“The police.”

             
He snapped the cuffs in place. Gently. Then he trailed the tip of his finger down the inside of her arm. “My thoughts ran more along the lines of
chewing gum or a magazine
.”

             
She shook her head. He stood.

             
“
Dallas
?”  She stopped him before he left the room.

             
He turned, expecting her to ask for something from town. Her troubled visage tore at him, reminding him how unfair the situation was to her. He came back and sat on the bed.

             
“What...what happens to me if you don’t return?”

             
The knife in his gut twisted. That was something he didn’t want to think about. Leaning forward, he traced the fine lines in her forehead, trying to erase them.

             
“I promise I’ll return.”

CHAPTER FIVE

             
The barn was in better shape than most other structures on the property. Originally built to house horses, most of the stalls had been ripped down, leaving plenty of space for Bogen’s clan and their motorcycles.

Dallas
arrived last. Frankie tossed him a beer and made room at one of the dilapidated picnic tables.

             
Preferring to stand,
Dallas
downed half the beer and leaned agai
nst the fender of Bogen’s brand-
new pickup. All the cars and motorcycles the gang drove were legally owned and registered. Another one of the rules. No one drove hot vehicles.

             
Dallas
scanned the small crowd. Fourteen handpicked men, not counting himself. Snake, Duke
,
and Eddie were part of Bogen’s original gang. They
had
started out twelve years ago in
S
outhern California
dealing in stolen property.
Since then they’d tried their hand at almost every other crime. Drugs proved most lucrative
,
and they
had
built up a profitable trade between
Mexico
and
Los Angeles
.